Ray of Hope
by ethereal girl
Summary: Piper and Cole meet at an unexpected place. Oneshot.


**CHARMED**

"**Ray of Hope"**

**Summary**  
Piper and Cole meet at an unexpected place. One-shot.

**Timeline  
**Set in the future.

**Notes  
**Cole never got vanquished. The rest is explained in the story.

**Disclaimer  
**I don't own anything about Charmed.

**A/N  
**I hope you enjoy reading it!  
Please let me know what you think of the story. It was just a little something I didn't get out of my head.  
English is not my first language – so please bear with the inevitable mistakes. The story is un-betaed, only what I and my word processor were able to do.

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Piper entered the mausoleum alone. She was dressed in a black skirt and black v-neck jumper. Her hair was up in a high pony tail and she was wearing black sunglasses.

She had told Leo to leave her alone with her sisters for a while. She hadn't been here in over a year. It was a pretty far drive from where they lived now. Slowly she walked through the quiet building. Coming here always made her heart heavy but at the same time nowhere else she felt closer to her sisters. She carried three bunches of flowers in her hand.

Piper stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted someone standing in front of the graves of her sisters'. She held her breath and her hands started trembling slightly. She had recognized him immediately. It was Cole.

She hadn't seen him in all those years. He had disappeared one day and Phoebe and she had been very relieved. They hadn't questioned why he finally left. Piper's mind raced. Was he still crazy and what did he want here? He hadn't been there when Phoebe died some years ago. She packed up her courage and walked closer.

Cole was in a black suit. But then it had always been his favourite colour and choice of clothing. Piper wondered why she was thinking about Cole's fashion sense just now.

She walked right past him without saying a word, and arranged the flowers in front of the graves. Then she stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. She suppressed a sob while silently reading the name tags on the wall.

Prue Halliwell – 1971 – 2001  
Paige Matthews – Missing 2004  
Phoebe Halliwell 1976 – 2015

Cole gave no sign of acknowledging her presence. If she hadn't recognized his after shave she would have thought he was just a product of her imagination. She eyed him from the side. He didn't look scruffy but besides that he hadn't changed at all.

She cleared her throat and demanded.

"Cole, what are you doing here?"

She prayed that he had regained his sanity. Otherwise she better left immediately.

He tore is glance away from the tag with Phoebe's name on it slowly. His face was desolate and Piper could see the trace where some tears had obviously made their way down his cheeks. He brushed them away with his hand, looking embarrassed.

"I just learned about it," he said quietly, motioning towards the wall. "What happened to Phoebe?"

"What do you mean you just heard?" she asked unbelievingly.

Piper was confused and became more than little angry. It made her forget that she should be careful around him. _Why did he act like he didn't know?_ He had to know. Everyone in the magic community knew. She braced herself and answered as calm as she could, but her voice quivered still.

"Phoebe is gone for already 4 years and you come here now? You ask me that now?"

Back then at the funeral she would have expected Cole to show up, but not now.

Couldn't he have come back when Phoebe was still alive? Maybe if he had, Phoebe wouldn't have had to die. She shoved those senseless thoughts to the back of her head resolutely.

"4 years?" Cole's face showed utter shock.

For a long moment neither of them said anything, they just starred at each other. Cole absolutely distressed and Piper just about to boil over.

His expression turned even graver and he whispered with a chocked voice, "I didn't know."

"How can you not know?" Piper yelled at him, she had lost the struggle for self control. "The whole damned underworld was celebrating the triumph of finally breaking us. Some demons even showed up at her funeral!"

A vase of flowers exploded behind Cole but he twitched only slightly. Piper alone was no threat to him. But he was shocked about her emotional state.

The outburst had taken all of what was left of Piper's strength. She slumped into a nearby chair, burrowing her face in her hands. Shuddering she remembered the onslaughts that had followed Phoebe's dead. Leo and her had to move away from San Francisco to save their lives and had gone into hiding. They still were.

Piper was no Charmed One anymore, just a single powerful witch. She and Leo had set their top priority in keeping their children alive and away from demons, warlocks and the like as far as possible.

Cole looked at her defeated form when he answered her.

"I wasn't in this plane for the last years. I just talked with someone some minutes ago who told me and I came here immediately. The time between the planes flows differently, I didn't think of it before, it was not important to me."

Piper snorted, but to her own surprise, she believed him. She could remember very well the occasion were she had gone to the heavens with Leo. It had been some hours for her but a full month for her sisters.

Since Piper didn't seem to continue, Cole looked back at the name tag on Phoebe's gravestone. He had to know. He knew it would be painful, but he needed to know.

"How did she die?"

Piper looked up, red eyes following his gaze and she remembered her sister's passing. She wiped a tear from her eye and hugged herself with her arms as she continued. It suddenly seemed rather chilly inside the mausoleum. Cole looked at her intently but didn't push her again.

"She fell in love with this charming journalist, he called himself Eric," Piper shook her head slightly.

_How could they have been so blind? How could SHE have been so blind? Prue had been suspicious of Cole from the beginning. _

"We thought he was a nice guy. He had been working at her office for some months. She was happy and we were happy as it looked like she had finally found the right one."

_A guy who could make Phoebe forget Cole, Piper remembered grimly_.

Phoebe had never totally gotten over Cole. Maybe that had been part of the reason she was attracted to this charming and a little mysterious man. Maybe Phoebe had felt that there was something beneath the surface? Piper had had these thoughts over thousands of times, but it didn't get her anywhere.

"Piper?" Cole asked gently.

She had gone mute and starred forlorn into space. Piper startled and looked at him again.

"It turned out he was a demon. We had no clue until it was too late." She sounded very depressed.

When she saw Cole flinch with a guilty expression she continued sadly. "He was nothing like you. He didn't love her, "to her own surprise she smiled at Cole sadly.

They had denied acknowledging it in the past but Cole had really loved Phoebe. Little did Cole know that Phoebe had tried to contact him some years later. Phoebe had been desperate but with Paige missing, their powers had decreased. They hadn't been able to reach out to him. Now she knew why, he had been on a different plane.

Cole looked at Piper warily. Despite what Piper said, he felt that Phoebe's dead was his fault. If only he had stayed with Phoebe. He could have protected her easily with all his powers. Instead he had fled her plane and hidden, mending his broken heart. He went everywhere he couldn't feel Phoebe. He had let Phoebe down.

He hung his head and run his hand through his hair looking anxiously at Piper. He didn't need to hear what came next, but Piper continued with a soundless voice.

"He killed her at the first time they were alone. He stabbed her with an Athame right to the heart. Leo and I were there seconds later but it was already too late. I blew him up but Leo had no chance of healing her."

Piper stood up and stepped forward to touch Phoebe's name tag. She traced the inscription tenderly with her fingers.

"I screwed up completely. I lost both my younger sisters. I wasn't able to protect them. I'm a complete failure."

She wasn't talking to Cole, mainly mumbling to herself.

She lent her head against the cold metal plate and took some deep breaths, suppressing the dwelling tears in her eyes.

_Could her sisters ever forgive her for letting them down?_

"What happened to Paige?" Cole asked cautiously, "I remember she was already missing when I walked away."

Cole had left San Francisco in a hurry after his attempt to change reality with the avatar powers had backfired. He became aware of that he was becoming a threat to Phoebe. And she had hated him in that other reality also. He had finally understood that there was no hope for them.

"We never found Paige. The elders never received her soul. We don't now what happened to her." Piper whispered.

That Phoebe was dead was bad, but that Paige's soul was lost, was even worse for Piper.

Cole cocked an eyebrow but remained silent. Paige probably had gone lost somewhere in that warped reality he had created. But in no way he would tell this to anybody, least of all Piper. By the way he didn't feel bad about it. Paige had tried to kill him several times after all. The only thing he regretted was that Phoebe had suffered because of it.

At this moment blue orbs filled the room. Cole turned his head slightly, expecting to see Leo.

But it wasn't only Leo who appeared. Next to him stood two boys in teenage age. Leo had a little girl on his arm.

Leo's smile froze on his lips when he spotted Cole. The larger one of the boys immediately brought up a blue white crackling force field, surrounding them all.

_Impressive, Cole thought._

"Mum, are you ok?" the smaller brown haired boy cried out fearfully.

Piper found her composure and straightened up. Secretly she wiped at her eyes before turning around.

"Chris, no worries, I'm fine," she gave him a small smile to calm him down. Then she walked over to her family.

Cole stayed in his place and just looked at the remains of the Halliwell family.

Leo found his voice again. "What is he doing here?" he asked Piper pointing with his chin towards Cole.

"Who is he?" asked Wyatt looking from his mother to his father.

It was obvious for Wyatt that his parents knew the stranger. At the same time Wyatt sensed that the stranger was no human. There were some powerful vibes about him, not exactly evil but not exactly good either. He didn't lower the force field therefore.

"This is Cole Turner. He is Aunt Phoebe's ex-husband, "Piper told her sons, "He is no threat to us." She threw a look at Cole, as to ask him to confirm her statement.

"I'm not here to harm anyone, "Cole confirmed.

The Halliwells still were the only people who would ever come near to be named family to him.

As a reaction the boys head's turned towards Cole again, blue eyes looking at him interested. Leo's stance relaxed. If Piper was convinced that Cole was no danger anymore, he could trust her. Her instincts were seldom wrong.

"Belthazor," Chris whispered to his brother and Wyatt nodded silently, "Remember we have seen him in the Book." Wyatt nodded in agreement, "He is a demon."

The boys' whispering did not go unnoticed by Cole but he oversaw it with a small smile.

Piper took the small girl from Leo and exhaled deeply. "Wyatt, put down the force field," she ordered and her son complied. In the meantime she had gained the impression that Cole was no threat to them.

"I think it's a good idea I introduce our family to you Cole. Just in case you meet them accidentally anywhere in anytime. This is our daughter Melinda, our oldest Wyatt and our second son Christopher."

"Nice to meet you all," Cole said politely.

His glance swept over all of them, memorizing their faces. His glance came back to Melinda and lingered on her for a moment longer. She looked back at him from under her brown curls with big brown eyes and then suddenly waved at him happily. "Hi".

Cole frowned, children never liked him. They always used to be intimidated by him. Piper and Leo exchange a very surprised look. Melinda normally was very fearful of strangers, especially men.

Cole stepped closer to Piper, intrigued. "Hi Melinda, "he said softly.

"Are you Uncle Cole?" Melinda asked with her little girl's voice, tilting her head.

Piper's mouth gaped open and she looked astonished at her daughter. Before she could say anything, Cole answered.

"No, I'm not your Uncle, "Cole was amused, "just Cole."

Melinda pouted a little at his answer, but then said, "But you are our friend? Mum's and Dad's friend?"

Her eyes searched his with too much intensity for such a young child. Cole felt slightly uneasy under her glance. It was ridiculous that a small child troubled him but he couldn't help it. He thought about what was the appropriate answer for her question.

Piper looked at Leo seeking help. Leo stepped forward next to Cole, and put his hand on Cole's shoulder. He was rewarded with a very perplexed glance from Cole.

"Melinda, you don't have to be afraid. Cole was a friend of Aunt Phoebe." Leo said soothingly.

He hesitated for a second looking at Piper before he added, "But he is not a friend of us. We had some disagreements in the past."

"You can say that again," Cole confirmed. He moved slightly to the side and Leo took back his hand.

"I'm not afraid, "Melinda stated resolutely. She thought for a moment. "Do you want to be my friend?" She looked at Cole expectantly.

Cole backed away even more, slipping away from Leo and the demanding little princess in Piper's arms.

After years without anyone caring where he was or how he was doing, it was too much to be asked to befriend to any Halliwell, even if she was a child. On top of it all he had just learned that Phoebe was dead. He had no time to think about it, as family dynamics kicked in, as always with the Halliwells.

"Wanna go to Cole," Melinda stated indignantly, kicking her feet in the air like only a 4 year old could, oblivious to the tense stances of the adults.

"Melinda, behave! Cole won't like to be your friend if you are a bad girl!" Piper scolded her daughter looking sternly at her, "He won't take you if you are."

Melinda stopped kicking but had a sulking expression on her face and crossed her arms over her chest.

Piper turned to Cole and explained, "Melinda can be very stubborn from time to time, you know."

Cole couldn't help but grin sarcastically, "I know Piper, she wouldn't be a Halliwell if she wasn't."

Piper shot him a punishing lock for his comment, which Cole shrugged of lightly.

"Do you want to take her for a moment?" Piper asked him.

"Me?" Cole was flabbergasted and put his hands up in a repulsing gesture, "I'm not any good with kids."

Piper offering him to hold her daughter was nothing he would have expected.  
_Had he created another alternate reality by mistake? He asked himself._

He looked at the boys who watched him suspiciously.  
_Right, let the demon hold their baby sister, they would love it, he thought._

All Halliwells waited impatiently for Cole's reaction. When he just didn't react at all but just kept gazing at them with a blank face, they started exchanging uneasy glances.

"He doesn't like me," Melinda's small voice was thick with tears which were also already forming in her eyes.

"Of course Cole likes you," Piper hurried to soothe her child, she rolled her eyes.

Melinda really was into mood swings today. Decidedly Piper stepped forward and shoved Melinda on Cole's arm. At these times it was better to let Melinda have her way. Otherwise she would be pain in the ass for the whole day.

Cole had no other chance than to grab Melinda when Piper retreated, a smug smile on her face. It was kind of funny for Piper to see how uneasy Cole grew when faced with the demands of a 4 year old girl.

Melinda put her small arms around Cole's neck dauntlessly and smiled brightly in his dumbfounded face. Cole held her very warily on his arm. She looked so small and frangible.

"Happy now?" he asked her, not able to suppress the uneasiness in his voice. He shifted her slightly and her curls brushed his jaw.

"Uhu," she smiled contently, "do you come with us? We just wanted to get Mom and then go to McDonalds and then drive home and I could show you my spell book ..,"Melinda started babbling.

"I don't think Cole has time for this, Honey, "Leo cut in. "Besides we should be going, if we wan to be home for dinner."

"But I want Cole to go with us," Melinda insisted, hanging on closer to Cole and staring defiantly at her father.

Cole looked uncomfortable from Leo to Piper but at their clueless faces he decided to try himself.

"Melinda, I can't come with you, I'm sorry, but I promise I visit you soon, ok?" He told her with his most convincing smile.

_How hard could it be to delude a child?_  
She would soon forget that she had met him and he didn't plan to visit them ever. It was just too awkward to be around the Halliwells again.

Melinda looked at him pensively. "You lie," she said to him reproachfully. Disappointment darkening her face.

"I don't," Cole defended calmly.  
_He had to be very out of routine when a child could so easily see through him, he chastised himself._

It was weird for Cole to hold Piper's daughter, to hold a Halliwell in his arms again, well rather on his arm. He couldn't remember ever holding a child. It wasn't Belthazor's style. However only after knowing her for some minutes, Melinda somehow got to him.  
_Must have been the shock of Phoebe's dead, he mused. Must have made me mushy and susceptible for her pull._

It was ridiculous und impossible, but holding Melinda felt somehow familiar. His thoughts went to Phoebe and his glance shifted to the metal name tag. Phoebe had been the only one to stir him up like this, make him feel protective, caring and good. His heart beat faster when he looked back at Melinda. Could it be?

Phoebe once told him that she had lived a past life already. Was it possible that Phoebe's soul was reborn already? This time as Piper's daughter?

Of course Melinda would never be Phoebe, Cole knew it. Melinda wouldn't have any memories of Phoebe's life, or of him. Anyway it appeared that Melinda felt some affection towards him, maybe if it really was Phoebe's soul, she still recognized him somehow, somewhere deep inside. Effortless he came to a decision.

"I need to talk to you for a moment alone Piper, please," Cole said and gave Melinda back to Leo.

Melinda didn't fight Cole but reminded him, "You come to visit me, you promised it as a friend."

"We will wait outside," Leo said and ushered the boys out, Melinda walking next to him on his hand. At the door Melinda turned once more and waved at Cole, before slipping through the door after her daddy.

"Melinda is very…endearing," he searched for the right words for a moment. "I want you to give her these from me." Cole conjured two small golden earrings in the form of the triquetra and offered them to Piper.

Piper looked at the earrings on his palm surprised. "We are not charmed anymore," she told Cole. "And I'm glad my little baby won't have to face the same evil we had to. I can't take them Cole. "

Cole pleaded with her. "Piper, they are just earrings. I thought Melinda would like them."

Piper faltered. "Melinda would love them. She loves all shiny things. She is always in my jewel box." Piper smiled at the thought of her daughter.

Cole took Piper's hand and placed the earrings in her palm. "They are not only for decoration. Melinda can call me with them, when she wears them. If she is afraid and calls for me, I will hear her and come for help. "

Piper looked big eyes at Cole and her suspicions flared up. "Why would you do that Cole?" she queried.

"We meet after 15 years and we, as I remember all too lividly, didn't part in peace. And there you are out of the blue offering to protect my daughter? Why? What are you really after this time? Maybe it isn't an accident that we met here?"

Piper fired her questions in rapid succession at him.

A pained expression crossed Cole's face. Of course she questioned his motives. She had every right to do that.

If his feelings were accurate – what he was pretty sure of - and even if the possibility of Melinda being Phoebe reborn was very small, he couldn't take the risk of letting Melinda respectively Phoebe down again.

Of course he wouldn't tell Piper the real reason for his concern, a half truth would do. Otherwise she would think immediately that he was insane again and after Melinda or up to something evil.

"I failed to protect Phoebe, "he explained himself, "I want, I need to make up for it, at least a little. If I can do so by helping you protect your daughter, it would mean everything to me. Maybe this is my only chance to make up for my failure regarding Phoebe. Piper, I'm sure you of all people can understand this. Please accept my offer."

His voice was intense and he looked at her anxiously, hope and regret mixing in his features.

Piper wasn't convinced he was true about his motives. He sounded reasonable but it was Cole. You never knew with Cole. Cole always had ulterior motives. She seized him up. She would trust her feelings in this.

Finally Piper closed her fingers around the earrings. She wasn't above needing help. She was just a normal witch, powerful but not charmed. If a powerful person like Cole was willing to take part in the protection of her daughter, wasn't it her duty to accept it?

"I guess it's no harm if I take them for her," she said, watching his reaction attentively.

"Thank you Piper," Cole answered honestly, "you won't regret it." A relieved smile brightened his features.

"I hope so," Piper said pointedly.

She looked at Cole and thought about revealing that Phoebe had forgiven him. That Phoebe had wanted him back. But then, what would that change? Cole was only going to hurt harder and beat himself up even more. Maybe even go over the edge again. She couldn't risk that. Besides it made no difference anymore.

"Let me tell you something about Melinda," she offered, "She is very strict that promises made are kept, so you better show up sometime soon."

Cole groaned inwardly. He wanted to protect Melinda, not become her playfellow. Fighting was his thing, kids not.

"Where can I find you?" he asked. He had made his decision, now he would stick with it. "When Leo said you have to go home soon, it sounded like you are not living in San Francisco anymore."

"We don't," Piper said curtly. "And I won't tell you where we live. Don't take this personally Cole but it's about the safety of my family. I will let Melinda call you with the earrings when the time is right, then we know also if they are working or not."

"I understand Piper. I'll wait for your call. Thanks for giving me this chance," Cole said genuinely. No one was going to hurt a hair on Melinda's head as long as he could prevent it.

Piper turned to go but stopped once more. "Going back to your plane now?"

Cole shook his head. "I'm going to stay here for a little while longer."

His look drifted back to Phoebe's name plate and Piper left the mausoleum silently.

The End


End file.
